Trifolium repens
White clover
(c) Tom Norton, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tom Norton · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Trifolium repens (White clover) is a non-native California herb in the Fabaceae family, recognized by . Key features: creeping turf-former, white flowers, long petioles.
White clover is a naturalized perennial herb found in California's Central Valley, Foothills, northern Great Basin in disturbed areas at elevations from sea level to 2,500 meters. Flowering from February to December, this plant produces white flowers in compact heads 1 to 2.5 centimeters wide. Growing as a creeping, turf-forming plant with stems that root along the ground, it spreads horizontally to form dense patches. Its leaves have three distinctive obovate leaflets about 0.5 to 2.5 centimeters long, with white-membranous stipules and long leaf stalks. The flower corolla measures 7 to 11 millimeters long, with flowers that gradually bend downward as they mature.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 71 sympatric species. Key features: creeping turf-former, white flowers, long petioles
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed areas
Elevation: 0-2500 m
California counties: Alpine, Kern, Sonoma, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Marin, Plumas, Siskiyou, Inyo, Santa Cruz, Butte, Mendocino, Los Angeles, Fresno, San Francisco, Humboldt, Trinity, Tulare, Santa Clara, Sacramento, Stanislaus, El Dorado, Amador, Yuba, Calaveras, Nevada, Modoc, Contra Costa, Lassen, Alameda, Tehama, Shasta, Placer, Mono, Tuolumne, Del Norte, Orange, Mariposa, Sierra, Colusa, Napa, San Mateo, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Madera, Ventura, Monterey, Yolo, Imperial, San Joaquin, San Benito
Outside California: northern United States, native to Eurasia
Bloom period
Trifolium repens blooms Feb-Dec.
How to tell it apart
vs Medicago: Trifolium flowers persist around fruits; Medicago flowers fall off leaving exposed coiled fruits.; vs Oxalis: Trifolium has pea-shaped flowers; wood-sorrels (Oxalis) have 5-petaled star-shaped flowers and heart-notched leaflets.; vs Melilotus: Trifolium flowers persist enclosing fruits; Melilotus flowers fall off leaving exposed ridged pods.; vs Castilleja: Trifolium has pea flowers and 3 toothed leaflets; paintbrush (Castilleja) has tubular flowers in colorful bracts.; vs Acmispon: Trifolium leaflets have toothed edges; Acmispon leaflets have smooth untoothed margins.
Frequently asked questions
Is Trifolium repens native to California?
No. Trifolium repens is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Trifolium repens bloom?
Trifolium repens blooms Feb-Dec.
Where in California does Trifolium repens grow?
Trifolium repens occurs in Alpine, Kern, Sonoma, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Marin, Plumas and other counties, at elevations of 0-2500 m.
What plant family does Trifolium repens belong to?
Trifolium repens is in the Fabaceae family, genus Trifolium.
What habitat does Trifolium repens grow in?
Trifolium repens grows in Disturbed areas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.